Conventional state-of-the-art electronic assembly technology employs so-called surface-mount technology, in which integrated circuits and other components are mounted on the surface of an electronic circuit board. Integrated circuits adapted for surface mounting are of rectangular geometry, with a multiplicity of legs extending in a linear array along each side edge of the rectangular body. The solder connection of each leg to a conductive pad on the surface of the circuit board serves the dual function of mounting the integrated circuit on the circuit board surface and making electrical contact between circuitry within the integrated circuit package and conductor arrays on the surface of the circuit board.
Integrated circuits of the described character can be readily mounted on circuit board employing conventional automated mass-production techniques. However, removal of a surface-mounted integrated circuit from a circuit board for replacement or repair presents a problem. Removal of a surface-mounted integrated circuit is conventionally accomplished by a skilled technician who manually heats each circuit leg or group of legs in turn, and then lifts the leg or legs off of pads when the solder joint has been liquified. Such an operation is both tedious and time-consuming. Consequently, in a commercial service environment, the entire circuit board assembly containing a defective integrated circuit is normally replaced rather than repaired. Furthermore, the manual disassembly technique so described can damage the integrated circuit, making later assembly to a subsequent circuit board difficult or impossible, and potentially damaging internal circuit components.
It is therefore a general object of the present invention to provide an apparatus and method to facilitate disassembly and/or assembly of a surface-mounted integrated circuit on the underlying circuit board. A more particular object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus and method of the described character that can be readily employed by relatively unskilled personnel. A further object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus and method of the described character than can be economically manufactured, that are easy to use, and that can be employed with integrated circuits of a wide variety of sizes and geometries.